Job Vacancies
TOURISM AND EVENTS MANAGER
MAINTENANCE PERSON
About Us
A world-class manufacturer of model railway products, and leading publisher of magazines and books, PECO was established in 1946 and is a forward-looking family company with a long tradition of innovative thinking. Located in the picturesque village of Beer in East Devon, we produce high specification, technically superior model railway track, plastic kits, and accessories for the model railway hobby at our two manufacturing sites at Beer and Buckfastleigh. We also publish the UK’s best-selling model railway magazine, the Railway Modeller. PECO has been proud to develop our manufacturing skills ‘in-house’ and our market-leading products and publications are distributed to businesses and retailers throughout the UK and in more than 30 countries around the world. As a company we have experienced significant growth over recent years enabling us to expand production, and we now have a team of 160 people. This is an exciting opportunity to join PECO and be part of our amazing journey.
Alongside the factory and head office in Beer is our tourism site Pecorama. Opened in 1975 Pecorama is one of Devon’s leading tourist attractions, welcoming over 25,000 visitors a season. Pecorama has award winning gardens, stunning sea views and Britain’s finest 7.25 inch railway, where a fleet of steam locomotives pull passenger-carrying trains on a mile long route through the grounds, over bridges, through steep-sided cuttings and a long, dark tunnel.
TOURISM AND EVENTS MANAGER
A bit About the Role
As the Tourism and Events manager, and in collaboration with the senior leadership team, you will play a critical role in defining and shaping the strategy for Pecorama. Reporting into the Head of Estates and Tourism Operations, this is an exciting new role for PECO reflecting our ambition to grow Pecorama and share all things railway with our customers. This is a flexible role that requires both hands-on involvement in day-to-day operations and strategic thinking and leadership. You will be responsible for ensuring that all visitors have a memorable and enjoyable experience, whilst also developing and implementing strategies to increase visitor numbers and satisfaction. You will work closely with the Head of Estates and Tourism to drive the continued success of Pecorama, balancing immediate operational needs with long-term planning and development. In order to support our Pecorama events, some seasonal late night and weekend work will be required from time to time.
Your responsibilities will be to:
· Oversee the daily operations of Pecorama, ensuring a high standard of visitor experience.
· Develop and implement strategies to enhance visitor engagement and satisfaction.
· Lead and manage a diverse multidisciplinary team of c10 people, and an additional seasonal team of up to 15 which includes catering, marketing/social media and retail team members.
· Plan and execute events and activities to attract and engage visitors, including high value experi-ences.
· Foster and maintain external partnerships with other attractions, local groups, and committees to enhance the profile of Pecorama and its visitor offer.
· Develop and manage budgets, ensuring financial targets are met and resources are allocated efficiently.
· Analyse visitor data, feedback and trends to inform strategic decisions and improve visitor expe-riences, ensuring Pecorama remains competitive in the tourism marketplace and a destination visitor attraction.
· Collaborate closely with the marketing team to promote Pecorama and increase visitor num-bers.
· Ensure compliance with all health and safety regulations and the site is welcoming for all visitors.
About You
The successful candidate will have a passion for delivering exceptional visitor experiences and events with a strong background in managing visitor attractions or similar environments. You will be a dynamic leader with excellent communication and organisational skills, able to inspire and motivate your team to achieve high standards.
Desired experience:
· Proven track record in a management role for a visitor attraction, heritage site, or similar environment.
· Strong leadership and team management skills.
· Experience in marketing and event planning.
· Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
· Ability to build and maintain strong relationships internally at PECO but also externally with other attractions, local groups, and committees.
· Ability to develop and implement strategies to enhance visitor experience.
· Strong financial management skills, with experience in budgeting and financial planning.
· Ability to analyse visitor data and trends to inform strategic decisions.
· Good knowledge of health and safety regulations and best practices.
· Ability to work under pressure and manage multiple priorities.
· A proactive and innovative approach to problem-solving.
The team you will manage includes:
· Railway Shop Manager: Overseeing ticket entry, and Tourism retail operations.
· Chief Engineer for the BHLR: Managing the Beer Heights Light Railway operations and maintenance.
· Catering supervisors/leads: Overseeing all catering operations, including internal and external catering services.
· Visitor Experience and social media Officer: Planning and executing events and activities to enhance visitor engagement and satisfaction and managing our social media present
MAINTENANCE PERSON
A bit about the role
This role is diverse and varied, you will be working as part of our maintenance team and reporting to the Maintenance Manager. You will be involved in a range of activities across our sites including work in our tourism and manufacturing areas. You will be required to undertake both planned and impromptu maintenance tasks to ensure we have a compliant and safe working environment for our team and a beautiful site for our visitors.
Your responsibilities will include:
· Carrying out reactive and planned maintenance across the site
· Always adhering to health and safety rules
· Simple woodwork
· Painting and decorating
· Basic plumbing
· Completing compliance records and checks
This is a permanent, full-time, 39 hours per week role, and this will typically be spread across Monday to Friday however, in tourism season, from April to October, you will be required to work one weekend in four. Occasionally there may be a need to work late or early to accommodate urgent tasks.
A bit about you
At PECO we understand that our people are what makes our company successful, and we are passionate about finding the right people to join us. We have a strong commitment to developing our team and offer both on the job and off the job training.
We are looking for someone with practical skills, who likes variety and can use their own initiative to problem solve. You must have a proven track record in building strong relationships with your colleagues and be someone with a can-do attitude. This will be a busy role with multiple demands, so you will need to prioritise, and be someone who can muti-task, and who likes a challenge.
The right candidate will need to;
· Be a team player with good communication skills
· Have experience of working with handheld power tools
· Be from a multi-skilled maintenance background, or confident with all aspects of hands-on maintenance work
· Have the ability to multitask and prioritise workloads; working both independently and within a team
· Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of and compliance with health and safety legislation
· Have a full UK driving licence. This is essential as some travel to other sites may be required
· Ideally have a ‘trade’ background but not essential
· Have basic computer skills in excel and word
What we can offer
PECO is based in one of the most beautiful areas of the UK on the Devon coastline. This is a key role in supporting business growth for the future. We also offer;
- 25 days holiday + bank holidays, increasing with length of service.
- Company pension, increasing to 10.6% employer contributions with length of service.
- Life assurance at 2 times salary.
- Cycle To Work scheme.
- Subsidised canteen on-site.
- Free car parking on-site.
- Discretionary sick pay.
- A staff ‘friends and family’ pass is provided to allow you to visit the attraction of Pecorama. Staff are welcome to use the Pecorama grounds during break and lunch times.
- A staff discount is available within our model and souvenir shop.
If this feels like your next move, and to apply, please email jobs@peco.co
Please attach your CV and tell us a little about why you would be great for PECO!
Closing date for applications is 2nd April however we reserve the right to close the vacancy ahead of this date should we have suitable applicants so please don’t leave it too long to get in touch! We look forward to hearing from you.